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Hood River was still in deep shadow and my teeth began to chatter . On went the heated grips and I tried to hold onto the physical memory of being cold , hoping to recall that feeling during the heat of the day ( it never works ). With graceful curves and smooth pavement , the byway is a pleasure to ride , especially when the screen of trees falls away and Mount Hood takes center stage , framed perfectly in brilliant blue .
After cutting a wide arc around the eastern and southern sides of Mount Hood , my first crossing of the Cascades came to an end in Sandy . Turning south and then east on State Routes 211 and 224 , I picked up the West Cascades Scenic Byway , heading southeast along Estacada Lake and North Fork Reservoir , two finger lakes created by dams on lower sections of the Clackamas River . As the byway crosses into Mount Hood National Forest , it
Mount Hood Scenic Byway , one of many scenic byways that meander through the Cascades , cuts a wide arc around its namesake peak .